Otterhop.com - Because your kids need something to do.

Comics for kids?

Robbie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:47:22 +0000

Kids and comics go together like, well, kids and comics. But many of today's graphic novels--even the generally tame mainstream comics we grew up with--are a bit edgier and adult these days. I recently bought my son (9 years old) a Batman graphic novel--he's obsessed with Batman. He's DC, I'm Marvel -- go figure. I'd flipped through it at Borders and it seemed harmless enough. Some mild villian-bashing, few weapons, no blood.

Maintaining healty family eating habits when money is tight

wendy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:27:31 +0000

How many times have you heard people say or have thought to yourself "it's just too expensive to truly feed my family healthy foods?" And now that we're experiencing a horrible time as a nation with many of us struggling to keep from being laid-off and really watching every dime we spend it's hard to justify paying three dollars for a pound of grapes.

Babble: "Is There a Heaven?...Uh"

wendy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:36:58 +0000

Babble's Susan Gregory Thomas has posted a good article titled "Is There a Heaven?...Uh". She offers valid reasons for why you need to have a prepared and practiced answer to the whole heaven/god question and "how to explain God to kids, no matter what your beliefs." She convincingly explains, "I do know one thing: I am not alone. Many people of my age are dumbstruck by the whole God thing and what to tell their kids. Why?

Scott Wheatley CD release party @ Play this Saturday

wendy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:29:24 +0000

Start: 01/10/2009 - 9:30am

End: 01/10/2009 - 11:30am

Timezone: US/Pacific

Come to cool kiddie hangout Play this Saturday for a family style morning of art and music. From 9:30 to 11am kids can explore their artistic side, every medium imaginable at tot fingers tips at bright and early Messy Art session. Imagine art without sacrificing your clean house. Then stay for a special CD release party for LA local kids' musician Scott Wheatley at 11am.

Los Angeles

The Long Thread's "Top 100 Tutorials of 2008"

wendy — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:36:25 +0000

Ellen of The Long Thread has so generously complied a list of her picks for the "Top 100 Tutorials of 2008" and boy has she hooked us up big time. Some of the tutorials mentioned, namely Oliver + S "Lazy Day Skirt" and "Take along fabric dollhouse", I've actually made and have fallen in love with myself.

Theater: Geffen Playhouse presents Pinocchio this Saturday

wendy — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:45:18 +0000

Start: 01/10/2009 - 11:00am

End: 01/10/2009 - 12:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Geffen Playhouse's popular family theater program Saturday Scene is back this Saturday, January 10th with their first family performance of the 2009 year. Join them as they present the classic Pinocchio.

Los Angeles

Trash wrapping paper rolls to cheap toys on the fly

wendy — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:22:01 +0000

Feeling bad about the ten rolls of gift wrap you blew through this past holiday? Well, make up for your global destructiveness by tossing those empty wrapping paper tubes to the kids for oodles of quick cheap thrills. Marie from awe-inspiring family site Make and Takes has put together a fun little list of clever ideas for upcycling those empty wrapping paper rolls.

Games for Children 3 to 8

Join JANM for a family festival honoring the Japanese New Year

wendy — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:23:32 +0000

Start: 01/04/2009 - 11:00am

End: 01/04/2009 - 4:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Come celebrate the New Year, namely Oshogatsu, the Japanese new year, this Sunday, January 4th at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). In honor of the new year the museum is offering free admission all day and a free Oshogatsu Family Festival from 11am to 4pm. The festival is going to be one nice size family bash including a crafts area where kids can make their own

Los Angeles

This weekend stop by the Getty for a family-friendly art event

wendy — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:54:13 +0000

Start: 01/03/2009 - 2:00pm

End: 01/04/2009 - 3:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

You have this last weekend of winter/family vacation to escape the holiday rut you've been stuck in for two weeks and get out and do something fun and meaningful with the kids. The Getty Center in Los Angeles just might have that certain activity to help you break free for a few hours of quality family time before you're thrust right back into that humdrum day-to-day routine for good. This Saturday and Sunday the museum is holding their Family Art Stops program.

Los Angeles

A fun way to get a little extra joy from those holiday cards

wendy — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:03:23 +0000

Amy from Let's Explore has a simple yet grand idea for repurposing all those holiday cards into a fun activity for young kids. She's provided a fast and easy tutorial on how to make a "Christmas Card Puzzle Game". I can't wait to make a set or two of these puzzle cards for my own 2 year old daughter. It's such a basic, clean matching/puzzle idea that I know my detail obsessed little girl is going to go crazy over.

Games for Children 3 to 8